Whether 2013 is going to be the turnaround year everyone is hoping for remains to be seen. What we do expect is that it will be a year of opportunity for those who chase it.

At Floor Covering Weekly we’re allowing that positive vision of the future to drive our coverage of the industry going forward and to help you capitalize by identifying new opportunities along the way.

For example, we’ve added more and ongoing coverage of Internet marketing. In discussing this topic with some of the leading web providers, this is an area that will only grow in value and importance. It is also an area where the industry is considerably lacking. There will come a time — if it isn’t already here — when not having a robust Internet site will brand your business as being woefully out of touch, out of date and probably soon out of business.

We’re going to try and shed some light on what it takes to succeed in this now mission critical aspect of your business. Knowing that Lumber Liquidators and Empire Carpet are both planning to expand, how can flooring retailers match the online presence and effectively compete in that space against companies that drive tremendous amounts of traffic among shoppers, that regularly post prices and specials and updates, that actively manage their sites for leads, and that hire the expertise to win the search engine optimization battle in local markets?

We’ve also turned our attention to stone. Everywhere I look, I see stone in kitchens and bathrooms and I see more outdoor paving and landscaping products made of natural stone than ever before. These higher-end goods are making their way to the homes and backyards of the middle class as well. We also realize that many flooring retailers have little knowledge of how to properly present and sell stone. We intend to focus our coverage on giving you the fundamentals of what it takes to succeed and sell natural stone with the hope that some of you will find a new growth path for your business.

We also plan more executive and retailer profiles as we sit down face-to-face with industry leaders to talk about their business and yours: from manufacturing executives that can share with you their vision of the future to retail executives who are willing to share their strategies for success and growth.

It’s all part and parcel of what is already your most trusted editorial advisor in the industry — Floor Covering Weekly. Coming off of our 60th Anniversary year, we approach 2013 with an eye toward the future and what value we can bring to help keep our community of readers informed and thriving.
There will be sales increases, there will be recovering markets, there will be more builder activity and sales of existing homes, and there will also be more consolidation in distribution and manufacturing. And at Floor Covering Weekly, we plan on remaining at your side to keep you informed and up-to-date as we have done for the past 60 years.